T-26 Light Tank
The T-26 Light Tank was a light tank that was used by the Soviet Union, as well as other nations, during World War II. Description The T-26 was a rugged light tank, fitted with GAZ eight cylinder engine, capable of propelling it at speeds of up to 28 kilometers per hour. Operational range of the vehicle was around 175 kilometers. In terms of armament, the T-26A was fitted with two 7.62 mm machine guns in a dual turret. Also known as the T-26 mod. 1931, the T-26A had armor of up to 15 mm thick all along the hull.http://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/soviet/soviet_T26.php The total length of the vehicle was 4.88 meters while its total weight was around 7,800 kilograms. The mobility of the vehicle was slow at best, using a 5 speed forward, 1 speed reverse transmission system and leaf spring suspension. In essence, the T-26A was a direct copy of the British Vickers light tank. Variants The first variant of the T-26A was the A3, (The A1 and A2 being differentiated only by the A2 using air cooled machine guns instead of water cooled.) which was given one 12.7 mm machine gun to replace one of its 7.62 mm machine guns. The A-4 meanwhile was given a 27 mm cannon to give it a better chance against other armored vehicles.http://www.militaryfactory.com/armor/detail.asp?armor_id=254 The A-5 was upgunned to a 37 mm gun with the OT-26 being turned into a flame tank. However, the next major evolution of the T-26 came with the T-26 mod. 1933, eliminating one of the turrets in favor of a new, single, rounded turret. This model also had a 20-K 45 mm main gun and DT machine gun for armament. Furthermore, the armor was increased to 25 mm along the hull. The mod. 1938 further improved upon the design of the mod. 1933, being fitted with new telescopic gun sights and hull parts. The last two T-26 variants, besides the OT-133 flame tank, were the T-26 mod. 1939 and T-26E.http://www.wwiivehicles.com/ussr/tanks-light/t-26c-1937.asp Both of which had a new sharp edged turret, new radio equipment, new engine, and mechanical parts. In fact, the only difference between the two was that the T-26E or 'screened' version had 40mm armor plates around its turret and sides for use in the Winter War. History The T-26 was first developed by the Soviet Union in 1931, following the shipments of British Vickers light tanks for testing. While the design itself was relatively straightforward, the T-26 was notable for being one of the most produced tanks of the 1930s, truly demonstrating the industrial might of the Soviet Union. Quickly forming the bulk of Soviet tank forces, even up to Operation Barbarossa in 1941, the T-26 had naturally seen combat in many of the pre-war confrontations such as the Winter War, Battle of Khalkin Gol, and Spanish Civil War. Here, it proved itself against many of its contemporaries, standing out as a reliable and effective design in combat. However, most T-26s could not withstand the quickly modernizing German Panzer III and Panzer IV tanks of the invasion and were lost to Soviet abandonment in the chaos, enemy fire, etc. Still, especially the specialized flamethrower and artillery variants found use defending in areas such as Moscow and Stalingrad. In total, some 10,000 production models were made in the T-26's service length. References Category:Soviet Vehicles Category:Tanks Category:Light Tanks Category:Soviet Tanks Category:Vehicles Category:T-26 Light Tank